There’s no proven drug yet to treat IPF, but there’s hope

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the lung disease that claimed tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, is one of the most difficult conditions to treat because there is no proven medication. Specialists in Mumbai and Delhi whom TOI spoke to, said that two anti-fibrotic medications aimed at reducing the scarred lung tissues are the mainstay of IPF treatment. “Most of our patients don’t survive beyond three to four years after the diagnosis,” said Dr Priti Meshram, who heads the respiratory medicine department at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital. One of the main problems with IPF in India is delayed diagnosis.